Human Touch in Healthcare

This textbook presents the essential research findings on human touch and haptic perception in a concise manner for students and health professionals.

Focusing on anatomical, neural and physiological as well as psychological, social and clinical aspects, the scope of this book ranges from the fetus in the womb to the older adult in need of care.

The chapters can be read individually or consecutively, and cross-chapter content is indicated by chapter references. Key learning points are highlighted at the end of each section, and figures, illustrations, and references facilitate the learning process.

The quality of the presented study results has been critically analyzed and only randomized controlled studies are reported, which gives the reader a critical representation of the current state of knowledge. The textbook also provides valuable suggestions for future research by noting blind spots in existing research, and by pointing to methodological challenges in the implementation of high quality studies. Hence, this textbook is not only a representation of current knowledge, but also an epistemological analysis of the research process. There has been a surge of research about the sense of touch in the past ten years, which is incorporated in this book.

This textbook will be an invaluable tool for physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses and other health professionals in everyday professional life.

Chapter 1. Perceptual dimensions of the haptic system . - Chapter 2. Anatomical and physiological basics. - Chapter 3. Perceptual thresholds and disorders of the haptic system. - Chapter 4. Testing, training and rehabilitation. - Chapter 5. Social touch and touching patients . - Chapter 6. Relevance of touch during pregnancy and birth. - Chapter 7. Relevance of touch for early childhood development. - Chapter 8. Effects of massages and other touch interventions on various diseases.